Register Now

In order to be able to post messages on the The Planted Tank Forum forums, you must first register.
Please enter your desired user name, your email address and other required details in the form below.

User Name:

Password

Please enter a password for your user account. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.

Password:

Confirm Password:

Email Address

Please enter a valid email address for yourself.

Email Address:

Log-in

User Name

Remember Me?

Password

Human Verification

In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.

Additional Options

Miscellaneous Options

Automatically parse links in text

Topic Review (Newest First)

12-01-2012 05:04 PM

CandleMaker

Quote:

Originally Posted by dski13

I just bought the same light and I found that they included the wrong bulb in the fixture. The freshwater version of the Solarmax HE Double T5lighting was supposed to have a 10,000K bulb and a 6,700 K bulb. The box says 10,000K and 6,700 K but the bulbs say different. I just got my light Wednesday so I am trying to get the company to send me the right bulb. You may want to look into it and see if you were supposed to get a 6,700K bulb too. I ordered mine from Kens Fish as well. I have left a message with them but have not heard back yet. You can change the bulbs in this fixture you just need to buy a T5NO bulb and instructions were included in the bag witht he metal feet things.

Also I measured PAR in my 20 Gallon High tank with glass cover (with the 10,000K and Actinic 3 bulb) and I would say the light is medium-low at the substrate. I found par measurements to be around 30-40 micro mol photons per m2 per s at the bottom and up to 120 at the surface right under the lamp. From what I read on this forum this would be med light at the substrate level.

Yes I read the same thing on the box. They include the wrong bulb,

11-23-2012 11:01 PM

Kathyy

I bet Hoppy would love that information, while that same fixture is represented on the graph more data is always a good thing.

11-23-2012 10:53 PM

dski13

I just bought the same light and I found that they included the wrong bulb in the fixture. The freshwater version of the Solarmax HE Double T5lighting was supposed to have a 10,000K bulb and a 6,700 K bulb. The box says 10,000K and 6,700 K but the bulbs say different. I just got my light Wednesday so I am trying to get the company to send me the right bulb. You may want to look into it and see if you were supposed to get a 6,700K bulb too. I ordered mine from Kens Fish as well. I have left a message with them but have not heard back yet. You can change the bulbs in this fixture you just need to buy a T5NO bulb and instructions were included in the bag witht he metal feet things.

Also I measured PAR in my 20 Gallon High tank with glass cover (with the 10,000K and Actinic 3 bulb) and I would say the light is medium-low at the substrate. I found par measurements to be around 30-40 micro mol photons per m2 per s at the bottom and up to 120 at the surface right under the lamp. From what I read on this forum this would be med light at the substrate level.

11-23-2012 10:29 PM

CandleMaker

Thanks a lot guys I found exactly what I need.

I just picked up a 75 gallon tank which I will get up and running soon. I am definitely going to have many more questions very soon.

11-22-2012 06:26 PM

Kathyy

As far as I know regular T5 bulbs have the same connector but you do need to get the same watt bulb, an HO bulb won't work properly with your ballast.

11-22-2012 01:57 PM

micheljq

You mean remove one bulb and put it on the other socket? of course you can.

11-22-2012 12:02 AM

CandleMaker

And are all fixtures compatible with all bulbs pending on size obviously? I was wondering if its even possible to switch the bulb out on the fixture that I have.

If the sword plants have yellowing leaves and were recently bought from a fish store then it is likely the plant was grown hydroponically. Those air adapted leaves won't live long underwater but the strong crown of the plant has plenty of reserves to grow new water adapted leaves. The air leaves of the most common sword plant have long stems and short thicker blades while water adapted leaves have short stems and long translucent blades. I haven't bought java fern from a store, perhaps they do the same thing. Very often new plants in a tank will have a lot of die back. Look for new growth rather than worrying about the original leaves dying back. Do get some root tabs though, they really appreciate them.

Get a different bulb for your fixture, something between 5000K and 10000K. Make sure it has the same length and wattage as T5 also comes in HO which probably wouldn't work with your ballast. A 14 watt 24" bulb is T5NO. 24" T5HO bulbs are 24 watt - each.

Do read the sticky on the lighting forum although I do like the rough generalization of the second chart on this thread. It shows your fixture to be providing medium low light which is great for your particular plants.http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=105774

I am going to conclude from this that If I had HO rather than regular HE that i'd need real co2.

I am going to change the Actinic bulb for a regular t5 daylight bulb and keep the same dose of Flourish Excel Co2 and purchase root tabs for the swords.

11-21-2012 03:04 AM

Hoppy

When I had a 29 gallon tank I had 3 sword plants in it, with water column fertilizing and inert substrate - no root fertilizing. It was a high light setup with pressurized CO2. Within about a month one sword virtually filled the tank. I removed it. Another month and the other two swords filled the tank. Never any root fertilizing.

I concluded, and later found that I was correct, that the sword plants can feed from either the leaves or the roots or both. In fact virtually all plants can do that.

11-20-2012 09:29 PM

Kathyy

If the sword plants have yellowing leaves and were recently bought from a fish store then it is likely the plant was grown hydroponically. Those air adapted leaves won't live long underwater but the strong crown of the plant has plenty of reserves to grow new water adapted leaves. The air leaves of the most common sword plant have long stems and short thicker blades while water adapted leaves have short stems and long translucent blades. I haven't bought java fern from a store, perhaps they do the same thing. Very often new plants in a tank will have a lot of die back. Look for new growth rather than worrying about the original leaves dying back. Do get some root tabs though, they really appreciate them.

Get a different bulb for your fixture, something between 5000K and 10000K. Make sure it has the same length and wattage as T5 also comes in HO which probably wouldn't work with your ballast. A 14 watt 24" bulb is T5NO. 24" T5HO bulbs are 24 watt - each.

Do read the sticky on the lighting forum although I do like the rough generalization of the second chart on this thread. It shows your fixture to be providing medium low light which is great for your particular plants.http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=105774

11-20-2012 09:13 PM

Gold Finger

If you don't have a light timer get one from a hardware store for $12 and set your lights for 8-10 hours/day.

11-20-2012 09:11 PM

Gold Finger

Yup. Yer two 24" T5 bulbs should put your light as high as you want to go for your setup, but you need 6500K bulbs for freshwater plants. Don't raise your light and don't stop using excel unless you want an algae farm. Light is measured in par. Google a "PAR lighting chart" and you will probably find one of Hoppy's excellent threads here on TPT and be able to figure out your approximate PAR . Your excell makes up for some CO2 and allows you to go up to around 50umol (PAR), but you must understand that if you go above this "low-medium" light level without CO2 supplementation you will get algae problems.

11-20-2012 09:04 PM

james1542

Yea the actinic bulb doesn't do much for photosynthesis, in plants or coral. It makes the colors pop though-so you have 14 Watts of lighting, which should be fine for most of your plants. I agree with Michel swap that for a 6500k. I'm guessing it's your sword is the one yellowing?-as Hmoobthor suggested, get them some substrate ferts.

11-20-2012 07:58 PM

micheljq

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hmoobthor

if im wrong..i thougth acitinic was for saltwater?

Most of the plants u have don't really require any liquid fert... they don't take in that much nutrients from teh water column..

The amazon sword need root tab and the others just need a small amout of fert...

I would replace the actinic buld, that's for growing corals, and get a bulb near the 6500K instead.

Michel.

11-20-2012 07:39 PM

Hmoobthor

Quote:

Originally Posted by CandleMaker

Its 14W 10,000KK Day and the other one says 14W Acitinic 03

Tank is about 24'' long and about 17"high

if im wrong..i thougth acitinic was for saltwater?

Most of the plants u have don't really require any liquid fert... they don't take in that much nutrients from teh water column..

The amazon sword need root tab and the others just need a small amout of fert...

This thread has more than 15 replies.
Click here to review the whole thread.